Washington County Commission approves BWXT's rezoning request

A months-long dispute over the expansion of a Jonesborough depleted uranium facility came to a head Monday night when the Washington County Commission voted to approve the company's request to rezone more of its property to expand its production. In a 10-5 vote, the Washington County Commission approved BWX Technologies' request to rezone an additional 56 acres of its property from agricultural and residential use to industrial use. Residents in the area who are against the facility's expansion crowded the courtroom and adjoining space in anticipation of the commission's decision, and some booed at the final outcome. Ahead of the vote, residents opposed to the plant's expansion spoke for an hour during the public hearing portion of the meeting. They expressed concerns about the acreage's location within a flood zone, potential air emissions, roadways and Little Limestone Creek's location through the property. "If we're going to get through this, we've got to stick together, even if we're on opposite sides of the table," said Gabriel Wilson, a Washington County resident who started the "Protect Jonesborough" movement in opposition to the expansion, during the public hearing period. The rezoning is part of BWXT's expansion of the depleted uranium production facility to fulfill a $1.6 billion federal contract to produce high-purity depleted uranium. At its January meeting, the county's planning commission recommended denying the rezoning request in 4-2 vote with one abstention. That meant the request would need a two-thirds majority in favor of the rezoning — 10-5 — at Monday's meeting in order for it to be approved. BWXT posted a statement to its website regarding the decision after the meeting. "From the very beginning, we have emphasized that this was a matter of optimizing land use," part of the statement reads. "We appreciate the Planning Commission staff's careful study and recommendation in support of the rezoning. The designated area offers features that reduce visual impact, enhance buffers, and align well with the surrounding land uses."